Birdman of Dagenham's vulture rescue centre in Himalayas is grounded

Birdman of Dagenham's vulture rescue centre in Himalayas is grounded

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Scott Mason paragliding with a tourist and an Egyptian vulture

Wings clipped: Scott Mason paragliding with a tourist and an Egyptian vulture

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Scott Mason

Scott Mason runs a rescue centre for the birds which he trains to fly alongside him

Wings clipped: Scott Mason paragliding with a tourist and an Egyptian vulture

A Londoner known as the "Birdman of Dagenham", who runs a vulture rescue centre in the Himalayas, today faced being shut down by the Nepalese government amid claims that he is abusing birds.

Scott Mason, 38, a former graphic designer from east London, has attracted criticism with his "para-hawking" experience in which tourists can paraglide alongside rescued kites and vultures, who are trained to fly with them.

The Nepalese government has announced that his Himalayan Raptor Rescue Centre in Pokhara is to be closed following allegations that it was illegally holding endangered birds and that the "para-hawking" amounted to cruelty.

"It seems there is resentment and the government has said they are closing me down. If that happens all my birds will die, and very slowly."

He said the black kites and Egyptian vultures used in para-hawking had not been captured but raised as chicks after being abandoned.

He added: "The others we rescue we treat and release into the wild.

"But if we release trained birds, which have been working with humans, they will die. This will be a very sad day."

His venture, the only bird rescue centre in Nepal, is endorsed by conservation bodies such as the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Vulture Rescue and Bird Conservation Nepal.

The announcement by Deepak Bokhara, Nepal's minister for forest and soil conservation, that the centre would be closed followed a month-long "Mason Must Go!" campaign by the Republica newspaper in Kathmandu, the Nepalese capital.

The paper claimed Mr Mason was illegally holding endangered species and complained that he charged 120 for the para-hawking experience.

It said: "This is animal abuse and is forbidden by the country's law in every sense of the term. Who has let this foreigner indulge in such activities?"

Hum Guring, chief executive of Bird Conservation Nepal, backed Mr Mason: "The work of the Himalayan Raptor Centre is much appreciated and is also an important source of income for sustaining the rescue works and to support vulture conservation in Nepal."